Is my customary marriage legal in Uganda?
In brief
The Customary Marriage (Registration) Act recognises a marriage celebrated according to the customs of a community where one party belongs to it (s.1). The marriage is valid on celebration; registration within six months (s.6) gives you a certificate that proves it for succession, immigration and other purposes. Marriages within prohibited degrees of kinship are void (s.11).
A little more detail
An unregistered customary marriage is still a marriage, but a certificate makes it far easier to prove when it matters — for inheritance, for example.
What to do next
See the customary-marriage checklist to register, and the types-of-marriage note for how the marriage systems compare.
The law
- Customary Marriage (Registration) Act, Cap. 143 (2023 Revision) — ss.1, 6, 11.
Quick guide · Family.
Actively maintained.
Last reviewed 9 June 2026; next review due 9 June 2027.
This resource is a practitioner orientation and general information, not legal advice, and does not create an advocate–client relationship. It is AI-generated. Ugandan law changes and chapter and section numbers were revised in the 2023 Laws of Uganda. Verify every statute, rule, form, fee and authority against the current primary source — and the specific facts of your matter — before relying on it.